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Speaking about the high moral ground upon which this Catholic review can claim Ricky Gervais’ movie is too morally offensive, I came across this piece. It is published by the United Nations from the IHEU (International Humanist and Ethical Union) about the response from the Holy See in the child abuse scandals that has rocked the Catholic Church in recent years, and its failure to honour its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Church’s reaction to the scandal

5. Several characteristics typify the cases that have reached the public domain.

i. Victims have been accused of lying, even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. (“One must not give scandal to the church” is ingrained in every priest.)

ii In most cases, sometimes over many years, local dioceses have failed to inform the civil authorities and have covered up allegations, whether or not they believe their instructions from the Holy See require this. Moreover, dioceses have moved alleged abusers from one location to another, resulting in repetition of the abuse9.

iii. Although many clerics from all levels have resigned, mostly involuntarily, others have tried to face it out. One who had papal support was Bernard Law, Archbishop of Boston10, who was forced to resign when he was proved to have systematically covered up abuse in 2002. He still enjoys papal support as archpriest of a papal basilica in Rome and he is still a cardinal.

iv. The Church has frequently suggested that the problem was minor, has blamed other, unconnected factors, or claimed that it did not know the true extent of the problem. It has also claimed that it was ignorant of the nature of child abusers or of their recidivist tendencies known by the church since at least the 1960s.11 Apologies are rare; a general admission of the Church’s culpability has yet to be seen.

v. Every possible step has been taken by the Church to minimise both criminal sanctions and the amount of compensation it paid to victims. “Gagging” clauses are routinely imposed as part of settlements of cases12.

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Questionable Motives is a site dedicated to raising important questions in the never-ending battle between rationality and superstition, offering commentary about topical issues, and addressing which of these motivations is truly being served.